It’s been a while. Some things are changing in my life, which has made things hectic, but has also created an opportunity. I’m back now though. Let’s talk about some beer!
I recently received and accepted a job offer with MapMyFitness.com as a web developer. I’m really excited about the opportunity. The company is great; they’re small, growing fast, they have an awesome product, and they’re downtown. I can ride my bike to work! They also happen to be 3 blocks from Falling Rock. Which might be an issue.
In accepting this offer, I asked that my start date be a week after my last day with Integer (where I work now). This will be the first time I’ve had time off between jobs in… a long time.
At first, I was trying to visit my friend in Germany. Turns out booking international travel at the last-minute is expensive.
My next thought was to fly to Seattle, rent a car, and drive to San Diego, seeing friends and breweries along the way. That, too, is expensive. I can afford it, but it would be tight. I decided that while it would be a super awesome road trip, I had to pass.
So now my plan is to stick around. And here is where the next opportunity comes in. I’m going to try to shadow some brewers. I’m going to try to get some real world commercial brewing experience. True, it won’t be the same as working at a brewery for a few years. But, it’s an opportunity to at least see the ropes, make some great contacts, and make some great beer.
I’m contacting breweries all along the Front Range, from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins, and a few in the mountains. Erik Boles of BeerTapTV.com fame offered to help connect me with brewers, and I am forever indebted to him for this. Once I have a schedule set up, I’ll let you know where I’ll be, but for now, I don’t want to mention any brewery names until they’re confirmed.
One brewery that has gotten back to me already is Strange Brewing. They’re a brand new brewery in Denver, and if it works out with the schedule, I’ll be able to lend them a hand.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Hopefully I’ll have an awesome update on this soon. I’ll do a full write-up on the experience, should it work out, afterward.
If you happen to be a brewer and want my semi-able hands to help you next week (6/28), let me know.
Congrats on the new job!Sounds like it a step in the right direction. Changing jobs is hard for me because I work with some cool people and leaving them would be like leaving family….I’m sure you’ve got something like that at Integer.
Sorry to hear about Germany. I’ve had a couple plans that I had to change last minute just like that. I can tell your going in the right direction with keeping the trip local. You might meet someone who could totally bring your dream of opening a brewery into a reality.
I was bummed you would not be traveling out to CA, but I think the decision on how you would spend your free time is better than any trip you could line up.
I look forward to seeing what the experience brings you.
I wanted you to come to Berlin too. I’m headed to a brewery next week that’s in a castle and on a lake right next to the castle where the Potsdam Conference between Truman, Stalin, Churchill, and Attlee. It will be awesome. But it would have been 1000 billion trillion times better with you there! We’ll have to do it another time.
Tom Bell in Parker Colorado is opening a brand new brewery( Elk Mountain) on Wednesday June 30th. We are brewing every day and would love to have you stop by. Shoot me an email and we can set something up.
Check out the website
Elk Mountain.com
Cheers,
Bridgette Jackson
Bridgette! I just saw your comment. Thank you so much! The week was ridiculously busy, but I’d love to come down some time and see the operation.